Shiromani Akali Dal is turning to a political strategy firm, strengthening its booth-level structure and giving Harsimrat Kaur Badal a larger role in party affairs as it prepares for the next Assembly election. But the developments raise a larger question can a party rebuild its future through consultants, data sheets and organisational reshuffles, or does it first need to convince voters that it has learned from the mistakes that led to its decline ? As SAD looks to revive itself under the Badal family's leadership while alliance speculation with the BJP refuses to disappear, is the party writing a comeback story, or still searching for one ?

Opinion